Russell Brand convicted of rape and three sexual assaults

A jury at Southwark Crown Court in London found comedian and actor Russell Brand guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault on Thursday, 5 November, after a four-week trial.

The jury also acquitted Brand, 51, of two other rape charges and one charge of attempted indecent assault. He had denied all the charges and told the court that his sexual encounters were consensual.

The convictions concern offences against four women between 2004 and 2009, according to the Metropolitan Police. The trial involved allegations from six women, all of whom are entitled to lifelong anonymity.

Police began investigating after allegations about Brand were reported by Channel 4’s Dispatches, The Times and The Sunday Times in September 2023. The force said there was no CCTV or forensic evidence available in the case and that detectives traced more than 100 witnesses.